Inline ball valves are installed as part of pipe line systems in hospitals, commercial buildings and private residences. The pipe lines supply water, steam, air, liquid fuel, and gases. The inline ball valves control the flow within the pipe lines and allow for flow shutdown for repairs, emergencies or the addition of other lines. A majority of the inline ball valves installed in hospitals and commercial buildings are in locations which are difficult to reach by hand and ladders are often needed to reach the inline ball valves. The factors contributing to the difficulty of reaching the inline ball valve handles are the following: installations in high ceilings; crowding of different pipe lines in the same area; and installation of pipe lines along with utility supply lines, electrical conduits, hot pipes, and HVAC air ducts.
There are many tools on the market to open and close valves. None of the current tools on the market totally address the difficulties of inline ball valve operation encountered in the locations the access difficulties as described above. Most currently available tools do not fit properly on the ball valve handle. The current tools can only be used on valves within immediate reach of the workmen. The current tools are made to fit only one specific valve and not the inline ball valve. The current tools do not have a flexible capability to meet the needs of a workman in the situations described above. What is needed is a tool which can address the access problems associated with inline ball valves.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a tool to open and close an inline ball valve that is difficult to access and a tool which is adjustable for different inline ball valve locations and access situations.